Slices
Prepare
Jesus invites us to come and seek rest from him (Matthew 11:28–30). In what ways do you need to receive his rest today?
Bible passage
A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.
1 It is good to praise the Lord
and make music to your name, O Most High,
2 proclaiming your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.
4 For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
5 How great are your works, Lord,
how profound your thoughts!
6 Senseless people do not know,
fools do not understand,
7 that though the wicked spring up like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they will be destroyed for ever.
8 But you, Lord, are for ever exalted.
9 For surely your enemies, Lord,
surely your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
10 You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox;
fine oils have been poured on me.
11 My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.
12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13 planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’
Explore
This psalm is the only one dedicated to the Sabbath. That seems to reflect the increasing significance attached to gathering together to worship, following the return from exile. Worship is described as corporate, using musical instruments (v 3), and happens in both the morning and the evening, framing the day as one dedicated to the Lord. Are there ways by which we frame every day as dedicated to the Lord?
Book 3 of the Psalms had ended questioning God’s goodness and Israel’s very existence (Psalm 89:46–51). Such had been the trauma of exile. Yet here, this psalm reflects a different sense of God’s presence with his people: worship has been decentralised and put in the hands of God’s people. Anywhere they worship can apparently be holy. Where are the places where you worship?
The big questions about wickedness and evil remain, but the writer contrasts the wicked as grass with the righteous as trees (vs 7,12). One passes away quickly (see Psalm 90:6), especially in such a hot climate as Israel, but trees grow strongly and slowly, flourishing in God’s presence (vs 12–14). A longer perspective, taking in God’s exaltation in eternity (v 8), gives joy in God’s unfailing, steadfast love (vs 2,15).
Respond
What steps can you take to make the gift and discipline of Sabbath rest – including personal thanksgiving and corporate worship as in Psalm 92 – one of the foundations of your life?
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ezra 5,6; Psalm 77
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray that as the trustees and senior staff team of SU Isle of Man review the outcomes of their recent research, God will give wisdom and clarity in shaping their strategic plan for the next 3–5 years and that the assemblies being delivered in over 20 primary schools will inspire and plant seeds of faith.
Because a strong start begins with smart preparation
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